After setting many naval records, a flotilla yesterday returned as scheduled to Taiwan following a three-month journey across the Pacific Ocean to visit diplomatic allies.
The fleet arrived back yesterday morning at its base in Kaohsiung's Tsoying military port to a warm welcome from crew members' families, who have not seen them for three long months.
The fleet comprised three ships: a Cheng Kung-class frigate, a Lafayette-class frigate and a supply ship.
It was the first time that two different kinds of warships had sailed together as part of a visiting flotilla.
It is the navy's custom to send such a fleet to visit friendly countries or diplomatic allies each year.
This year's fleet departed on Feb. 6 from Tsoying.
The 95-day voyage marked the longest journey ever made by the navy's ships. The total distance the fleet traveled was 45,102km, also a record for the navy.
Other records set by the fleet include the highest number of visited countries (eight) and the longest period of travel without a stop (26 days across the Pacific Ocean).
The eight countries visited by the fleet were, in order of sequence, Palau, Guatemala, Saint Vincent, Saint Christopher, the Dominican Republic, Belize, Honduras and the Marshall Islands, all diplomatic allies of Taiwan.
In a ceremony to welcome back the fleet to Tsoying, Navy Commander in Chief Admiral Li Chieh (
"It is the first time our ships have ever sailed across the Pacific Ocean. It is also the first time that our ships have visited Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Central and South America," Li said in a speech to the fleet's crew members.
Fleet commander Rear Admiral Kao Kuang-hsi (
"Among the eight countries visited by us, five countries had their heads of state receive us in person. Of the other three countries, two sent their vice presidents and one their defense minister to welcome us," Kao said.
Kao also took the opportunity to deny media reports that the fleet had received instructions from the government to change their course and not visit the Marshall Islands while on their way across the Pacific.
"After we departed from Taiwan on Feb. 6, I got an order to visit Palau first and then sail directly toward Guatemala. Our schedule was to visit the Marshall Islands during the trip home," Kao said.
Earlier media reports had said that the fleet had changed its plans to visit the Marshall Islands because of objections from the US.
The US State Department reportedly informed officials in Majuro, the Marshall Islands' capital, that the visit of the three Taiwan naval vessels would not be permitted, invoking its defense veto power under the Compact of Free Association for the first time since it was implemented in 1986.
The US ambassador to Majuro, Michael Senko, acknowledged at the time that pressure had come from China to put a stop to the port call.
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